In controlled scientific experiments using small animals such as rodents, research laboratories have many thousands of cages in which the animals are housed. Essential in the care of such animals is the availability of water at all times. Any harmful bacteria either in the water or at the feeding mechanism could induce sickness in the rodent which, during a research experiment, could invalidate the experiment. In the prior art, to achieve sterility, the presently used water bottles and feeding tubes are sanitized and refilled two (2) or three (3) times weekly. This involves removing the bottles from the cage rooms, sanitizing the bottles and component parts, filling the bottles with water and transporting them back to the cage rooms.
Accordingly it is the primary object of this invention to provide a receptacle used in conjunction with an animal cage to retain a disposable bag of sterile water and protect it from the claws of the animals which may feed such water from a demand valve.
Another object of this invention is to provide a demand feeding valve with a piercing point upon which to impale a disposable bag of sterile water while it is retained in a protective receptacle.
A still further object of this invention is to maintain a constant sterility in the water feeding of laboratory animals.